Preserving Marvellous Melbourne
Melbourne’s streets are lined with world-class architecture which over the years has shaped the development of this city and its unique identity.
The Library has been generously gifted English architect William Butterfield’s original drawings of St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the city's most iconic structures and his final masterpiece.
These to-scale drawings – some up to six metres long – were provided as plans for local builders as they brought Butterfield's distinctive Gothic Revival designs to life. The collection is made up of 154 drawings, with the earliest design delivered in 1878.
Watch the video above to discover the fascinating story that helped shape one of the busiest intersections in the country and forever changed Melbourne’s cityscape.
About Preserving Marvellous Melbourne
While State Library Victoria has been gifted these architectural plans, they are in very poor condition. The drawings are now close to 150 years old and in a perilously fragile state.
The funds raised for our End of Financial Year Appeal 2022 will allow us to undertake the conservation and preservation of these extraordinary works and ensure the story of this architectural landmark lives on in the State Collection.